The Okavango River: A Narrative of Travel, Exploration, and Adventure - Charles John Andersson 1861 - Hurst and Blackett, London - First Edition With engraved frontispiece, engraved extra title page, and fifteen further engraved plates.

A scarce example in original publisher’s cloth, of Swedish explorer, hunter, trader and naturalist Charles John Andersson’s second book, describing his hunting expeditions through Namaqualand and Damaraland (Namibia). Andersson intended to explore these countries right up to Cunene or Nourse River but the difficulties of the expedition, though encountered with indomitable courage, proved to be insuperable, and he had to turn back. He obtained, however, much valuable information and his success as a hunter and collector was unique in this part of the continent. The coast-line of South-West Africa is carefully described and there is an interesting account of the once-famed guano island, Ichaboe.’ – Mendelssohn.

Charles John (Karl Johan) Andersson (1827-67) - The Swedish explorer, hunter, trader and naturalist Charles John Andersson was born on 4 March, 1827 in Vårmland, Sweden, and died on 9 July, 1867 in Angola. He was the illegitimate son of Llewellyn Lloyd (1792– 1876), a British bear hunter, and his Swedish servant. Andersson grew up in Sweden, where he hunted with his father and started to collect natural history objects. In the years 1847–1849 he studied in Lund. In 1849 he went to London, hoping to sell his natural history collection in order to finance his travels. There he met Francis Galton (1822–1911), and they decided to make a joint expedition to Southern Africa. In June 1850 they arrived at the Cape and travelled from there to Walvis Bay by boat. They went far inland on their expedition, aiming to reach Lake Ngami, which had been discovered not long before by David Livingstone (1813–1873), but were unsuccessful. Galton then returned to England, but Andersson remained in Africa and finally managed to reach Lake Ngami from Namibia in 1853.

In 1853 he returned to London, where he eventually published
Lake Ngami (1854), the record of his two expeditions. He returned to Africa the same year, 1854. For a short time he worked as a manager of a number of mines in Namibia, but he preferred to continue his explorations, reaching the Okavango river in 1859 (The Okavango River, 1861).

Next he went to Cape Town where he married and then settled with his wife in Otjimbingwe in central Namibia (then South-West Africa), where Andersson made a living as a breeder of cattle and a trader. In 1867 he travelled north, to the Portuguese settlements in Angola, in the hope of opening up a better route of communication with Europe. However, he did not manage to cross the Kunene River and had to return. On his way back he died after a short illness, and was buried by his companion. After his death his wife and children went to live in Cape Town. His
Notes of Travel (1875) were posthumously published by his father. Andersson had collected some 400 species of birds on his travels; his notes on the ornithology of Namibia were published posthumously as Notes on the birds of Damaraland and the adjacent territories of South-West Africa (1872).’ – Anne S. Troelstra, Bibliography of Natural History Travel Narratives (Wallis 1936).
  Provenance: Frederick Clark Junior, with contemporary gift inscription to him from his cousins L. A. & M. E. Horsfall, dated 1866.

References: Howgego IV, Continental Exploration A19. Czech, African Big Game Hunting 7. Mendelssohn South African Bibliography I 42.

Octavo (book size 23.2 x 15 cm) pp. [4] [4 (frontispiece and extra illustrated title page)] [2] vii-xxi [3] 364. In publisher’s red embossed cloth, rebacked retaining original cloth spine lettered and decorated in gilt, boards patterned and bordered in blind, original grey coated endpapers. (Plates collated and correct LMRB 3/2018).

Charles John (Karl Johan) Andersson (1827-67) - The Swedish explorer, hunter, trader and naturalist Charles John Andersson was born on 4 March, 1827 in Vårmland, Sweden, and died on 9 July, 1867 in Angola. He was the illegitimate son of Llewellyn Lloyd (1792– 1876), a British bear hunter, and his Swedish servant. Andersson grew up in Sweden, where he hunted with his father and started to collect natural history objects. In the years 1847–1849 he studied in Lund. In 1849 he went to London, hoping to sell his natural history collection in order to finance his travels. There he met Francis Galton (1822–1911), and they decided to make a joint expedition to Southern Africa. In June 1850 they arrived at the Cape and travelled from there to Walvis Bay by boat. They went far inland on their expedition, aiming to reach Lake Ngami, which had been discovered not long before by David Livingstone (1813–1873), but were unsuccessful. Galton then returned to England, but Andersson remained in Africa and finally managed to reach Lake Ngami from Namibia in 1853.

In 1853 he returned to London, where he eventually published
Lake Ngami (1854), the record of his two expeditions. He returned to Africa the same year, 1854. For a short time he worked as a manager of a number of mines in Namibia, but he preferred to continue his explorations, reaching the Okavango river in 1859 (The Okavango River, 1861).

Next he went to Cape Town where he married and then settled with his wife in Otjimbingwe in central Namibia (then South-West Africa), where Andersson made a living as a breeder of cattle and a trader. In 1867 he travelled north, to the Portuguese settlements in Angola, in the hope of opening up a better route of communication with Europe. However, he did not manage to cross the Kunene River and had to return. On his way back he died after a short illness, and was buried by his companion. After his death his wife and children went to live in Cape Town. His
Notes of Travel (1875) were posthumously published by his father. Andersson had collected some 400 species of birds on his travels; his notes on the ornithology of Namibia were published posthumously as Notes on the birds of Damaraland and the adjacent territories of South-West Africa (1872).’ – Anne S. Troelstra, Bibliography of Natural History Travel Narratives (Wallis 1936).
  Condition: Near fine, frontis and title pages foxed as commonly encountered, else generally clean throughout, neatly rebacked retaining original cloth spine and original endpapers.   Ref: 109353   Price: HK$ 18,000